


Coin Toss

by Owl_Be_Writing



Series: If Elliott Had Been There- A Season Six Rewrite [13]
Category: Glee
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 15:22:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14023134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Owl_Be_Writing/pseuds/Owl_Be_Writing
Summary: If you wanted to know where the timeline split, creating the alternate universe of Leaving The Liars In Lima, it was on this day of February 24th, 2014.





	Coin Toss

Professor Ferdinand Clarke tapped his pen against the desk while he stared at his notepad on which he had written two names thus far.

His friend at NASA, Chandra, had asked him to recommend a student of his for a job, a sharp mathematical mind for their meteorological department. Chandra felt that some young blood, some youthful enthusiasm, would be good for the department, but he had yet to find that in the applicants he had so far seen.

Of course, if Ferdinand couldn’t think of anyone appropriate, Chandra wouldn’t hold it against him. He was sure he could find someone capable without Ferdinand’s help, eventually.

The professor grunted to himself. _‘Chandra can be such a passive aggressive-’_

The phone rang.

Ferdinand, after a beat to shake himself out of the headspace he'd been in, answered it.

Before he could get out a hello, the voice on the other end whined, “Britney Spears! I had to listen to _Britney Spears_! Sometimes I envy you, Ferdi; as _boring_ as your job at MIT is, it comes with _zero_ risk of being subjected to _Britney Spears_.”

Ferdinand sighed deeply. “Hello, Ainsley.”

Ah, yes, his dear brother Ainsley. Yet another phone call to complain about the _trials_ he must endure in his _very important job_ judging the auditions for hire as singing waiters on a cheap cruise line with multiple health code violations, occasional shipwrecks, and terrible food, that paid only slightly better than a barista position at Starbucks.

His brother groaned dramatically. “Auugh,” he cried, “Gotta get these _props_ hired in time for the March cruises, and, _as always_ , the boss has given me _zero_ time to sort through all the flotsam and jetsam, and all morning I had to listen to off-key _squawking_ , and then this weirdo _sashays_ in dressed in a black and silver suit, I think he had a _cape_ , wearing thick eyeliner and _glitter_ , and he starts singing ‘Circus’ by _Britney Spears_! Tell me, Ferdi, what have I done to deserve this?”

Ferdinand rubbed at his left temple with his fingertips as he dryly answered, “I can think of a few things.” After a short beat, he added, “And for the hundredth time, don’t call me ‘Ferdi’.”

“Aw,” Ainsley whined, “but it’s so cute though!”

“Ugh.” He tapped his pen a few times before he asked, “Did you at least try to listen to this ‘weirdo’ sing? Remember that the last person you rejected for singing Britney went on to win The Voice.”

His brother scoffed loudly. “Who cares about The Voice?”

Ferdinand raised an eyebrow. “You did, as I recall.”

There was an aggressive ‘hmph’ on the other end. “Whatever,” he dismissed, “you don’t understand. It was _Britney Spears_.”

As per usual when subjected to a conversation with his darling brother, Ferdinand wanted to pull his hair out. “What is even your problem with Britney Spears?”

“My problem? My problem?? She’s trash!”

That was the moment Ferdinand decided he had Had It. “Ainsley,” he intoned, “today marks the final day that I will quietly listen to one of your sexist rants.”

Ainsley made a strange series of flustered noises. “Sexist?” he squealed, “Sexist?? She is _objectively_ vapid, manufactured, mainstream-”

“-wherehas One Direction is thought provoking, groundbreaking, and home-grown authentic?” Ferdinand drawled.

There was a blissful moment of silence.

And then a quiet, “...what?”

“Ainsley,” the professor began as he shifted in his chair, “I need to go, you called when-” he cut himself off, and corrected, “actually, I don’t need to go, it’s a personal favor to a friend I’m in the middle of, for which I have no real obligation to fulfill. I’m hanging up because I want to. Goodbye, Ainsley.”

He ended the call before his brother had a chance to protest. Ferdinand might possibly regret having done that later, his mother would probably have a word or two to tell him, but, right then, it had felt really good.

He returned his gaze to his notepad and the two names speculatively written on it.

“Britney Spears,” he murmured to himself.

He crossed out the two names on the page, and below them wrote-

[Brittany S. Pierce]

He stared at the name. She did not have a bachelor’s degree in the sciences.

...but she had been _studying_ for a bachelor’s in mathematics.

She didn’t have the certification, but he felt confident that she was more than capable.

And Chandra would always take him at his word.

He nodded, pulled his laptop towards himself, and began work on his recommendation.

 

-Meanwhile, in the NYU cafeteria-

 

Keiran looked up as Elliott slumped into the chair opposite him at the small table he sat at. He regarded Elliott for a few moments while Elliott regarded his coffee.

“Aw, fuck,” said Keiran, finally, “didn’t get it, did ya?”

Elliott sighed, and the corner of his mouth quirked upwards in an ironic smile. “He really hated Britney.”

Keiran grunted and shook his head. He took a drink of his own coffee, and then stated, “Said you shoulda done Killer Queen, but, no, ya left it to fate with a coin toss.”

Elliott huffed a little laugh and shook his head as well. “I should have sung Queen,” he agreed, “you were right.”

“I’m always right,” Keiran quipped, after which he had a bite of his sandwich.

Elliott rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Keiran.” There was a long pause, and then he shrugged. “But, who knows?” he mused, “Maybe this was for the best.”

Keiran halted in his pursuit of another bite of his lunch. He raised an eyebrow. “In what universe,” he questioned, “is you not getting a gig a good thing?”

**Author's Note:**

> Songs referenced in this chapter-  
> [Circus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WACc62-Rpeo), by Britney Spears, in a rock cover by Sunset Takeover  
> [Killer Queen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Woo2mfK_7mQ), by Queen, as sung by Adam Lambert


End file.
